Two Iranian documentaries, 'Beloved' by Yasser Talebi and 'Lotus' by Mohammadreza Vatandoust, were shortlisted for two competition sections of 16th Big Sky Documentary Film Festival in Montana, the US, slated for February 15-24.

According to Mehr News Agency, the two Iranian films are among the top ten finalists in two sections of the festival's Competition Mini-Doc and Feature Competition.

'Beloved' follows the life of an 80-year-old mother named Firouzeh who is fond of her isolated lifestyle in nature with her cows. The film shows her kind and loving character and demonstrates her courage and strength tackling the hardship of life in the Alborz Mountains without the modern comforts of technology. She believes happiness lies in the simplicity of life.

'Lotus' depicts the survival of one island after a dam flooded a village in northern Iran. It is an "intimate look at the daily routine of an Iranian woman who has survived modestly for 12 years alone in a house at the base of the mountain. She waits for permission to visit the island, which has a grave on it."

The US festival this year features a special program for Iranian films, named 'Stories from Iran'. In addition to the two films, the section includes 'Aleppo: The Silence of the War', a co-production with Syria directed by Amir Osanlu, 'Finding Farideh' by Kourosh Ataee and Azadeh Mousavi, and 'Skipper Soleiman' by Saadat Ali Saeedpour.